Franny's cameo

John Edwards

Last updated at 00:00 26 January 2004

IT MAY not be pulling them in like it used to, but the FA Cup has lost none of its instinct for an unlikely story.

The world's oldest knockout competition excelled itself at Goodison Park yesterday as Sean Davis scored against the side who spent all summer trying to sign him, then Francis Jeffers celebrated his 23rd birthday by grabbing a last-gasp equaliser after going on as a late substitute.

The pity was that only 27,000 turned out, compared to the near-40,000 gates for Premiership matches.

While a niggly battle for a fifth-round place could never be passed off as a free-flowing classic, there were talking points in abundance and enough ingredients to underline why the Cup continues to have fervent admirers.

From the moment Fulham followed Everton out of the hat, David Moyes must have feared the sort of drama that unfolded in the 49th minute.

The Scot devoted most of pre - season to trying to complete a Pounds 5million move for England Under 21 midfielder Davis and would have succeeded but for the player's persistent knee injury.

Now fully fit again, Davis has wielded a growing influence of late and marked his first Goodison appearance since the transfer saga with a goal.

Steed Malbranque did the groundwork by weaving deep into the Everton half before releasing Lee Clark on the right. His driven cross was parried by Nigel Martyn to Carlos Bocanegra, who whipped it back for Davis to score.

With Fulham's centre back pairing of Alain Goma and Zat Knight growing in stature and repelling the inevitable aerial bombardment, it appeared likely that Davis's opportunism would win the match.

As if to make a point to its detractors, though, the Cup had one more twist up its sleeve as Moyes sent on Jeffers in the 86th minute in a despairing last attempt to find a way through.

Signed on a one-year loan from Arsenal at the start of the season, Jeffers has spent the last two Cup finals looking on from the sidelines, denied the opportunity to have any say on the outcome but doubtless elated for those who stamped their mark on the Gunners' remarkable record at the Millennium Stadium.

There was no denying him this time as he earned Everton an equaliser that came from a familiar source.

Renowned for their aerial threat from set-pieces, Everton reaped the rewards again as Duncan Ferguson met Thomas Gravesen's with a header that Edwin van der Sar kept out at full stretch.

The Fulham keeper couldn't hold on, though, and Jeffers pounced in the six-yard area to force home his first goal since returning to Everton.

Nobody could dispute Everton's right to a second opportunity after they shaded the chances and twice went close to taking the lead in the first half.

Ferguson's 14th-minute header looked bound for the far corner until Bocanegra sliced it over his own bar.

Then Kevin Kilbane was out of luck on two counts as he saw his 38th-minute header blocked on the line by the same Fulham defender and had penalty appeals for handball waved away.

Fulham created little other than a 24th- minute Barry Hayles drive that Martyn turned away. Manager Chris Coleman still saw enough, though, to believe he can get by without 15-goal Louis Saha.

'We went a long way to proving we have got enough in our squad to have a good second half of the season,' he said.

Moyes claimed: 'We should have had a penalty when Wayne Rooney dinked the ball inside one of their defenders, because it looked a handball.

'I would have settled for an equaliser from anyone late on, but I was particularly pleased for Franny. It should do his confidence good.'